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The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit. TEXT: Galatians 5:22-23; 1Cor 12:7. Remember the illustration of the tractor and the cotton field? What is the job? To keep the weeds out?. To produce an abundant crop!
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TEXT: Galatians 5:22-23; 1Cor 12:7 Remember the illustration of the tractor and the cotton field? What is the job? To keep the weeds out?
To produce an abundant crop! • God has given us the Holy Spirit, not just to keep us from sinning (keep the weeds out), but to enable us to produce in our lives the evidence of His work in and through us. These evidences are:
I. The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit • A. Every believer, at the moment of accepting Christ as Savior, is indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13; Rom 8:16) • B. That indwelling is the guarantee of our eternal salvation (Eph 1:14)
II. The Fruit of the Spirit • A. Note that each of these are evidences of character which are not “natural” to us • B. Each of these are produced by the Holy Spirit, in our lives, by His power • C. Each of these are Christlike characteristics as we are encouraged to model (Phil 2:1-11) • D. They are the “crop” which we are enabled to produce for God
III. The Gifts of the Spirit ( 1 Cor 12) • A. This is the Holy Spirit doing a particular ministry and using the believer to do it (1 Cor 12:8-11) “by the same Spirit” • B. Not just by aid of the Holy Spirit (Rom 12:1) • C. Not by augmentation of natural abilities • D. It is a “manifestation” of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:7) • 1. Every believer a recipient (1 Cor 12:7) • 2. All by the same Spirit (1 Cor 12:11) • 3. Requires yielding to the Spirit (1 Cor 12:14; Romans 12:1-2)